Paign Productions

Testing out switching hosting site by kicking the page off with a classic!We picked the greatest leftovers of all time!

Cheers Paigniacs!  I'm back with a quick hitter solo pod. The plan is to enshrine all of the greatness that makes life worth living.  I hit you with the first inductee, chase it up with the return of the Dad Dojo, and finish the plate with a mini "List 'O Six" Long-time Facebook friends know...LIST IS LIST.    

You know what's going on. It's time for another THICK episode of dudes talking fantasy football. That's the drill.  I rounded up Mike, Kevin, and Sean to run a PPR mock draft! My strat for this run was to channel the wisdom of one Mr. George Costanza. Let's see how that worked out for me....   Cheers!

Summer is halfway over, but fairs and festivals are in full swing! Kurtis and I have worked in radio for decades and have spent COUNTLESS hours in the Central Illinois region, taking them ALL in. We drafted our absolute favorite snacks, smells, and hacks.  So park six miles away, put in your best mesh tank top, and join us on this adventure. You know you want to. Cheers!    

Content creators unite! I have known Sal for many years. He was the first person I knew who actually wrote a book before the internet made it look so easy.  His passion for the written word has continued for 25 years plus! Now, he is sharing much of his work from that era while peppering in new pieces about music, books, and the atmosphere of Champaign Urbana.  Check out salnudo.com  Sal's work is earnest, unique, and full of heart.  Cheers!       Also, I want to give some love to Feedspot for featuring Paign Productions in their rankings of the Top 15 podcasts in Champaign, Illinois. I owe it all to you Paigniacs for keeping the fires burning, Thank you! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/champaign_podcasts/    

It is almost Memorial Day! Per tradition, Mike and Sean join the pod to draft what we believe to be the most successful summer movies. Looking at the scoreboard... Ryan - 1 Sean - 1 Mike - 0 Is this the year Mike breaks through?!?!? He definitely did his homework and is switching up his tactics.  Dive in and enjoy!     And be sure to buy your tickets to Trap on August 9th! :) Cheers.  

It was an internal struggle to come up with the name of this episode... Sean is back, and we are drafting food items that we love/want to eat from movies and television! They CAN be fictional, but most of the time, they are not...hence the level of difficulty. SO dig in and prepare to be in a Pavlovian experiment featuring all of your senses. Cheers!  

I'm healed up! Paigniacs...let me tell you...tooth pain is NO JOKE. Whooooooooooo! But it can't keep me down. The NFL draft is upon us (Caleb to Odunze for the win!)...but before we get there...Mike and I had to discuss our favorite college basketball teams of ALL TIME. My Illini made me proud this year. So, thanks for hanging in there! Cheers!  

My supermodel ace in the hole Kurtis Allen is back in the dungeon to talk about one of our favorite subjects....ACTION. MOVIES. They are notorious for having some of the GREATEST character names for the heroes, sidekicks, and villains. We dive in and celebrate the greatest submissions put to script.   My last pick has changed my life in the best way ever. It has invaded my lexicon, my livelihood, and my approach to daily activities. Cheers!

The Fantasying! I had a gremlin in the dungeon chewing important wires and things when crazy, so I decided to give you two scoops of fantasy goodness. We continue figuring out ALL the right answers regarding fantasy football next year and, coincidently, all of the Chicago Bears' solutions.  Cheers.

Nah. This isn't a sexy one.  These are the same four blokes you have come to know and love, talking about fantasy football for a sizeable chunk of time.  We recap how we did last year, make some wild predictions, and call each other on our own bs.  I chunked it up into two parts because there are no lawns to mow or driveways to shovel.  You know the score. Cheers!  

Bobby Sleeves is an official Paigniac!  He always has been one at heart, but the roots are now planted. So, to commemorate the event, we spend way too much time talking about how far things are from each other and how serious yet laughable Champaign "traffic" can truly be...just like our ancestors did before us. THEN we dive into some expert-level selections of the greatest leftover foods of ALL TIME...hot...cold...medium...it makes no difference. Let us help you empty your fridge. Cheers!

Let's cap this off! We are all about to jump out of our skin with excitement, stress, mirth, mayhem, and beauty. Finish strong and give Santa a hug with these final 10 choice cuts to carry you through Christmas Day. Cheers and love, Ryan

OK! We are getting into the weird segment of the season..... JOIN ME! I promise to bring your Xmas experience to the next level by the time this playlist is complete. Cheers and LOVE! Your humble host.

I am a bit under the weather as I prep for my Turkey Day Feast....BUT....I couldn't leave my Paigniacs hanging without a proper Xmas playlist! I recognize the fact that not EVERYONE starts on November 1st, like yours truly, so I felt obligated to lend my services and catch you up on all the festive vibes coursing through my speakers. Enjoy this quick hitter as you unroll your lights for the season. Cheers!  

It has been a while, but I'm back!!  Stuffin' a FAT bag with a subject matter that is outside of my wheelhouse.  I had to tag Kurtis to come in and help school me in the realm of "grunge." He was ever so kind as to give me a gift to assist me in my selections. Throw on a flannel shirt, get cozy, and enjoy! Cheers!   OH! One more thing...we had a hell of a time with our internet connections...this one took a while to shape up. I left a bit of an easter egg after the close to give you a bit of an insight into how "exciting" the conversations can be while checking the equipment. 

The itch remains... We are coming up on REAL football and real fantasy football drafts. So, I had the guys in the dungeon for a test spin. We did a collaborative mock fantasy draft from various positions with unique strategies. Dabbled a bit in zero-rb, flirted with zero-wr, one team can barely purchase their own alcohol...then my team....straight chaos. No theme music. No editing. Just us geeking out again.   There are fresh bags and paigncentric eps on the horizon, but in the meantime....we play dress up as NFL GMs. Cheers.

Two. TWO. Two pods in one. Kevin has been found! I had him back in the dungeon to draft our favorite items to grill. Here in the Paign we go 365 days a year. We hit on all of your favorites, maybe a few surprises, but we talk tips, tricks, and techniques to keep us in perfect Dad shape. But wait...there's more! We also continue feeding our fantasy cravings by discussing who we are NOT drafting in the first handful of rounds...for those that are also anxious about the kickoff of football season. Cheers!

Big, Beefy, and Uncut.... thatswhatshesaid Wooooooo! We had a night in the dungeon talking Fantasy Football. I decided to leave it untouched. We nerded out. We had drinks. We lost people. Gauntlets were thrown.  It was a great time. So take an EXTRA long walk and mow the lawn as you dive into the LARGEST episode of Paign Productions to date. Cheers!  

We have barely entered June, and I am covered in Summer madness. If you are struggling to adjust, Kurtis and I have the episode for you! We drafted all the good vibes of summer. The smells, the sights, the feelings, the grooves.... Throw on a tank top and grab a cold drink. Soak it in. Cheers!    

As I put another coat of polish on my championship belt...I rounded Mike & Sean up for a shot at the title! We drafted movies coming out this summer that we think will make the MOST money domestically.  We studied each other's moves and came out with pretty balanced lists. Which movie will shock the world and overperform? Give me a shout, @paignpro, and let us know who you think won. Cheers!  

We got a beefy one on our hands. I gotta admit...the weather is warming up...my kids are counting down to summer break...and I'm feeling nostalgic. So I tapped my buddy Robert aka "Bobby Longsleeves" and recounted our favorite games we played outside as kids! You woke up. You went outside. You came in to eat and get ready for bed. Rinse. Repeat. It was magical. Ride the wave. Cheers.   Be sure to check out Robert's work at illiniboard.com  It is a refreshing perspective about Illini sports, but also fandom itself.    

Nah. Not the fast casual. Not the fine dining. I brought Mike on the show to draft the phone buttons you press when you have 9.23 space minutes of time.  Somehow I feel old and not responsible? Maybe, a trailblazer and a kid at heart? One way or another, I have some downloading to do.   Cheers, Paigniacs.    

We are not celebrating or promoting the substance itself...BUT on the eve of one of the most excellent movie titles in recent memory....we honor "Cocaine Bear" by removing a word from an existing movie with the word "Cocaine." Hans, Kurtis, and I maybe have inadvertently penned over a decade's worth of upcoming films in less than an hour.  Please leave a 5-star review if you are having fun with us.  Cheers!  

Here at Paign Productions, we celebrate everything that can quench your thirst.  I hooked up with Kurtis to give you some ideas to shake up your big game plans...or ease your Monday hangover. I'm still not 100% sure of one of the names of Kurtis' picks.  We also discussed Oreo's most remarkable creation of ALL TIME! Plus, if you stick around till the end...you'll hear the thwarted plans of my first TikTok video. I guess it is back to the drawing board. IF you are in the Terre Haute/Mattoon/Effingham area...be sure to listen to Kurtis on 104.3 The Party. He will guide you home in the afternoon. Cheers!    

New Year. New Guests! Hans from the "Action Movie Book Club" joined me in the dungeon to draft our favorite breakfast soups. What goes better with a late-night action move? Healthy options need not apply.   Be sure to check out his podcast wherever you find mine. Cheers!

Mike and Sonny are BACK! We take a break from dissecting music to hit you with your favorite sneakers from the greatest decade of all time. We drafted some personal picks, some we did anything we could to own, and some that we still have never laid our hands on...yet. Keep your Google machine fired up and revel in these works of art. Cheers!   While you have your phone open...if you could hit that 5-star rating, that would be aces.

Check another one off the list. The year is almost up, so I rang up Shep and Amanda to choose our favorite things in the world of pop culture. We found ourselves in some "sticky" situations, we might've accidentally grave-danced, and I personally drafted something I've never even experienced...but it was a delight to rehash some of the best and worst of the year.  Pop bottles and press play. Cheers!    

Much like Fantasy Football....we are constantly "setting a lineup" in life too. I wanted to hop on for a quick hitter and name something that I am trading, starting, dropping, and benching in my life. Just needed to get in the studio. From the day I started this, I said you would see all of my ideas in real-time.  Plus, I missed you all. Cheers!  

We are halfway through the Fantasy Football season! Mike and Sean are back. We discuss some of our dubs and some of our whiffs...hit up the season MVPs to date. We hit up all of the moves coming out of the NFL trade deadline, plus some players to buy and sell.  It is three dudes talking about football...that's it...that's the pod. With Prosecco in it. Cheers! *NOTE* This was recorded before the Mike Thomas news. :D  

This one here...has the makings of a series... So, welcome to part ONE of the ultimate fast food quest. I had Shep with me on the mission is to select, ONE Beef main item ONE Chicken main item ONE side ONE dessert ONE wild card item and....ONE sauce to bind it all. We kept it close to home on our choices, but we had plenty to spare...stay tuned.   Go leave that 5-star rating and hang out with me on Twitter @Paignpro Cheers! I love you.  

.....this time, it's personal. OK, I will spare you the horror movie puns and refs going forward, but I am excited to catch up with John and talk about his COMPLETED homegrown horror film.  We chat about the true labor of love. John has been learning on the fly while bringing his dream project to life...from film festivals, audio concerns, who you can trust, funding, bonding, and combing every detail possible to create a really rad classic slasher flick. PLUS, he KILLED KURTIS! Dig in and keep an eye out for Final Summer playing near you. I will always update the Paigniacs on social media @paignpro where you can find it. Cheers!

My dude Ryan from Pubtime Podcast is back to tip drinks in the dungeon! Recorded on a Saturday night, it is only natural that we drafted ways to maximize our Sunday mornings.  As we do, we tangent into The Bloodhound Gang, Top notch local pizza, salami as a breakfast food, and so on... Pop a couple Alka Seltzer (do people still do that?) and leave that 5-star rating. Come hang out with me on your favorite social media space @Paignpro Cheers!    

The stores runneth over! Everywhere is prepping for Halloween, so if you want to be the "cool house" on the block, stock up on the best. Kurtis and I did not see eye to eye on all the picks, but we put together a masterful cheat sheet. It's time to bulk up for the cold weather. Join us. Cheers!   Please leave a 5-star rating if you dig what you hear. It really helps potential Paigniacs find their tribe.  

Back off a mixed bag of hiatus reasons, and I needed to get back in the dungeon...just me and a mic. What's included?...a thread... Chicago 80s Nicknames A bumpy start to a new ambition Why I do not like prequels My favorite background shows   I missed you, Paigniacs, and I am getting the schedule loaded back up.  Cheers!

I'm back! Sorry it has been an extended break between episodes, but vacation and COVID hit hard.    SO...I packed in an extra beefy episode for you all to chew on. Fantasy football Is BACK, and of course, I had Mike and Sean join me to do a little preview. FIRST, we had to recap our Box Office summer movie draft *flexes*. We discuss who we are targeting in our drafts, who we are avoiding, tight end strategies, and our personal choices in some crowded positional battles and a way too early Super Bowl prediction. Note - This pod was recorded on 8/24/22 - so any news of stud Dallas linemen going down or Pierce channeling prime Barry Sanders was not covered.   If you are digging the content...PLEASE leave a 5-star rating wherever you are listening. It greatly helps the show find new Paigniacs for the journey.  Cheers!

It was time to round up some of my favorite long-haul townies to get nostalgic a bit about the Paign. Shep and Amanda joined me to draft some of our FAVORITE places in town...that are sadly no longer with us... *cue Boyz II Men* We really could've gone 20 rounds on this.  I'm sure you all had very similar places that didn't make it due to poor planning, technology passing them by, or simply bad luck.  We LOVED them anyway, and maybe...just maybe...one day...we reboot. Cheers!   Please leave that 5-star rating to help others share the memories or commiserate about their old joints.

The remake of the Frank Sinatra classic "Ocean's 11" is a damn near-perfect movie. It has suspense, comedy, drama, action, and a DEEP cast. But what if we changed the players...? I had Sean join me in the dungeon to recast *SIX* roles of this Soderbergh classic. Would you see these versions?   Let us know if we had any weak spots @paignpro on Twitter and Facebook. What movie should we consider next?

It has been a long time coming, but I finally got a chance to have Ryan from "Pubtime Podcast" join me in the dungeon! It was by happenstance that we got to know each other on Twitter, and it was wild to learn that they broadcast out of Peoria, Illinois.  One of Cental Illinois' finest products is the dive bar. We do them well, and you are likely no further than 20 minutes from one no matter how far you drive in any direction. We drafted all the familiar and comforting aspects that let you know you are in the right place...we are also Midwesterners, so the conversation took a few side trips. Crack a cold one and enjoy. Cheers!   Then come hang out on social media @PaignPro. You can always find conversations that aren't going to solve the world's problems, but pair nicely with a Busch Light.  

You know the ones...they are on your playlist...YOU know they knock but you ALSO know that your friends/guests do not know this. This is a bit of a flex, but also spreads the love of music that has been unnecessarily hiding from the masses. Mike and Sonny are back to go pick for pick to give you a deeeeeep playlist.   Also. Apologies to Jamie Foxx. You were honestly most of the reason I saw the movie! That's on me.  Come hang out @PaignPro...everywhere. Cheers.

I'm gonna go ahead and apologize for the audio on this one... My man Kurtis helped me learn some new editing tricks, and it DOES improve after a rocky start... I've been out of it for a bit, and I NEEDED to get back in the dungeon. I got so excited I believe I set my mic up wrong? I appreciate all of the Paigniacs, so if you want to hear me question milk, and vitamins, suggest TikTok content, and get IN on my favorite hit it and quit it bites...let's ride. Cheers!

One of us! One of us! One of us! Try as we might, all dads slip into the paradox. The ridiculous becomes real. Then you find out that those that came before you...might have been onto something... I had fellow Dad Kurtis Allen on the show to draft some of our favorite DAD GEAR. Some choices were personal and adopted; some of them just we have dodged but are too important in the lore of fatherhood to be ignored. Cheers!     If you have a few moments, please drop a 5-star rating if you dig what you hear. It really bumps the show up lists and helps the show grow. I appreciate it.  

SO...I needed to learn how to stream Zoom live on Facebook for work...why not take my test run on the pod, right? Mike joined me for an impromptu draft of our favorite "Toms" because we just heard the news of Tom Brady's new announcing contract. This episode is UNEDITED...so proceed with caution...If you prefer not to see how the sausage is made and hear me bang around on keys like a caveman to perform a simple task...fast forward about 7ish minutes. If you caught it live and dug it, please reach out. I might have some smaller interactive ideas in mind. Cheers and enjoy that weekend!  

The NFL draft has come and gone, and that got me back in the fantasy football feeling. We are also on the cusp of Summer Blockbuster movie season. Let's put those hands together! Of course, I got together with Mike and Sean to create a different sort of fantasy draft... We picked movies to be released this summer, and the person with the highest domestic box office earnings...WINS!   It was late, the dungeon bartender was heavy pouring, and it might've spilled into a long random conversation about "The Batman." Side bets were made, new movies were discovered, and maybe some illegal marketing. Cheers!  

Believe it or not...summer IS coming. So Shep joined me on his Birthday, no less, to do a joint celebration of all things best enjoyed in the sunny months. PLUS, I had the pleasure of having on one of my people that I have known since literally day one. Amanda Hill took her maiden voyage in the dungeon to help us pack this extra-large bag! We touched on a bit of debauchery, a touch of wholesome, and a ton of wonderful memories. As always, I welcome my listeners who are getting to know The Paign to share your stories on social media @paignpro. I'm sure many of these picks will be familiar to you all in the spirit of summer, but with different landmark names. Please leave that 5-star rating wherever you are tuning in. Drinks are on me if you ever make it to hallowed ground.  Cheers!  

I've been nervous to do a "solopod" for a while now. There is safety in numbers. No one to react to, no one to build off their ideas, no one to save the day with a funny quote.  My podcast is abnormal in the way I bounce around from show to show, but that has always been my intention. I appreciate all of you that are joining me on this trip. I have guests lined up to stuff some more bags, and Experience The Paign...this is just my time to talk to you. I am a night person and my mind spins and spins nightly. Welcome to my thoughts and activities that occupy that time.  Tonight I get into my love of April Fool's Day, yearning for a smarter phone, TikTok recs, and my FIRST ever solodraft.   Cheers!   Be sure to follow me @Paignpro across all the places you kill time on social media. I will be your best friend if you take 5 minutes to leave that 5 star rating.  Thank you.

The Happy Hour Podcast graciously invited me on their podcast back in early February. I suggest you seek out "Bring the Paign" when you subscribe to their show. We talked about our favorite drinks and exchanged song lists from music genres outside of our comfort zones. Naturally, I had them in the dungeon in kind.  On this episode I discovered how they started their show, we got into detail about our upcoming collaborative effort to break the WORLD RECORD for the longest podcast ever, recapped our musical homework, and had a mini appetizer draft as well...this is Paign Productions after all.  Be sure to subscribe to "Happy Hour Podcast" on YouTube to catch the downfall of the record while I go full Slater. https://youtube.com/channel/UC032R9C9G7VeduZuSGU_UEw     And check out their social channels! Twitter: https://twitter.com/HappyHourShow3 IG: https://www.instagram.com/happyhourpodcast3/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/happyhourpodcast3   Cheers!

Mike is back! I remember hanging out with him since the early 90s, and two of our common interests were sports and music. The overlap in this realm was...nicknames.  Music artists have stage names, and the most significant or most unique athletes that were larger than life also traveled in that atmosphere. We drafted our favorite nicknames, and for the MOST part... they happen to include some of our favorite players ever to do it. Cheers!   If you are digging what you are hearing, PLEASE leave a 5-star review so others can join in the fun, and don't forget to hang out with me on social media. I am at @paignpro.  

We have some special guests joining me in the dungeon for this episode. Alec and Justin from the "Wheel of Horror" podcast were kind enough to stuff the bag full of horror nuggets! You can search and listen to their show on your favorite podcast listening app, and be sure to follow them on Twitter @HorrorWheel. ALSO! I need to apologize to my man Kurtis for forgetting to intro him at the beginning! When I say "ace in the hole," that was where it was going to go! As my loyal listeners know he is my go-to on this subject, among others. I blame my headphones catastrophe that struck right before we recorded... When you mix together all of this knowledge of creepy and gruesome cinema in one virtual room...out pops one top shelf Bag 'O Six. Plus, I know have a list of movies to watch in the next couple of weeks.   Come follow Paign Productions @paignpro wherever you socially kill time on your phone. Cheers!

One of my goals of this podcast is to give shine to those that are really representing the town I love so much. There is no better way to show that than feature another movement that has been doing that for almost a decade. At the heart of "The She Said Project" is a live performance featuring local women sharing real stories. It is also a podcast, an afterparty, a philanthropic arm, and a collection of amazing women figuring out a way to make our community a better place....and maybe coming soon to a town near you... Jenette Jurczyk is one of those ladies behind the scenes, and I had the pleasure to talk with her about this year's cast (with maybe a brief look behind the curtain), the growth, the motivation, and .... just press play already.... Get your tickets for this year's performance of That's What She Said below. https://thevirginia.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=655 AND make sure to hit up the afterparty https://champaign-urbana.jl.org/events/thats-what-she-said-afterparty-at-neil-street-blues/   Be sure to follow them on your favorite social media time killer @SheSaidProject   Know you can always find me @PaignPro Be sure to leave a 5-star review on your podcast playing device, and I will be ever so grateful.   Cheers!  

I just really like alliteration... ...and frozen food. Bobby Longsleeves is BACK with first-time guest Tyler to draft our favorite frozen goods just in time for the Super Bowl. Thawing techniques, lazy microwave skills, and the most shocking stolen pick ever! We. Go. In. Deep. Childhood memories are unlocked, college stapes are celebrated, and one particular item was finished minutes before recording. This was a passion project.   Be sure to check our Robert and Tyler's work @ www.illiniboard.com. In my opinion, it is the best way to stay on top of Fighting Illini Athletics. Easily consumable material packed with knowledge nuggets without all the jock sniffing and "insider" claims.  Find Paign Productions @paignpro on your favorite social media timekiller. If I am not there, send me an email at paignproductions@gmail.com and yell at me. Cheers!